Process and apparatus for breaking up a mass of produce



United States Patent 2,485,344 10/1949 Abbott PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR BREAKING UP A MASS OF PRODUCE 35 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 146/78, 146/105, 146/167, 146/70 Int. Cl. A0lf 29/00, 826d 4/22 Field of Search 241/6, 13,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie Attorney-Craig, Antonelli, Stewart & Hill ABSTRACTfMethod and apparatus for intermediate storage and separation of a mass of stalk or leaf-type crops, including feeding the crops into a receptacle, the base of which is rotating and causes the mass to be set into rotation about a vertical axis, continuously severing from the peripheral rim of the mass layers or skeins of predetermined dimensions, the severing being effected at least in a substantially vertical cutting plane by means of a driven cutting element or a fixed cutting element, and removing the separated layers or skeins in a direction substantially tangential to the mass within the receptacle, said removal being effected, either continuously or batchwise, along the side of the vertical cutting element which faces away from the rotational axis of the mass within the receptacle.

broken up and distributed.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR BREAKING UP A MASS I OF PRODUCE The present invention relates to" process and apparatus for breaking up a heap of cereal or leaf crop by continuous extraction.

Since the introduction of loading machines, cereals and leaf crop, such as hay and beet leaf, may be loaded relatively rapidly. in the field, transported to a farmyard andunloaded just as quickly, even, to some extent, by a single operator. This has, however, accentuated an old problem, since separate cartloads arriving at the farmyard in rapid succession cannot be broken up sufficiently rapidly and easily by hand and conveyed further or converted to chaff. This fact has been considered, sometimes Without justification, a disadvantage of the loading wagons which have become known recently, although the task of continuously extracting cereal and leaf .crop from heaps and conveying them furtherwithout manual labour has always been a hitherto unsolved problem. This problem existed not only with respect to long products which were loaded manually or by so-called front loaders, cartload loaders or by a loading wagon, but also when chaff was unloaded from socalled chaff unloading wagons having built-in feed and conveying mechanism. A further disadvantage is the need for supervision; it is not possible to empty a transporting wagon instantaneously, and too much time is wasted by the transporting wagon and its tractor by unproductive waiting at the unloading point. The problem is particularly difficult inthe case of long stalked or unwieldy material, such as maize or sugar cane, where wagon loads-are compactly interlaced heaps or masses and maybe separated into individual portions only by before they are brought in, is founded on prejudice.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided a process for gradually breaking up a heap or mass of cereal or leaf crop by continuous extraction, in which, whilst substantially maintaining] the structure of the material, a skein is pared from the edge of aiheap or mass lying on a rotating supporting surface by means of a cutting or sawing device which has a moving element'and which determines the cross section of the skein, and is delivered externally for further processing.

According to another feature of the present invention apparatus for breaking up a heap or mass of cereal or leaf crop comprises a storage container, adapted to receive a heap or mass of cereal or leaf crop andhaving a turntable bottom adapted to be rotated about a vertical axis and a stationary wall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the turntable and provided with a window aperture, and sawing or cutting means having movable elements extending into the interior of the container whereby to engage with a heap or mass therein to pare a continuous skein from the outer layer thereof, said window aperture determining the cross section of the skein and allowing the skein to pass from the interior of l the container to the outside. A

Thus the present invention provides a process and apparatus which, by relatively simply means and with the least possible attendance, can enable heaps or masses of long commodities to be separated rapidly an and reliably by continuous extraction, in that a skein substantially maintaining the structure of the material is pared from the edge of a heap rotating about a vertical axis and lying on a rotating supporting surface, the skein also being carried away to the outside for further processing.

The process andapparatus are not restricted solely to use in conjunction with loading wagons, but may be used anywhere where heaps or masses of cereals or leaf crops are to be circular saw blade 16 extends partially through the container The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section taken along the line H of FIG. 2 of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1a is a detail from FIG. '1 drawn to'a larger scale;

FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and also showing a rear portion, of a loading wagon in the unloading position;

' FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. IV of another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an inclined perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 with a portion of the container wall omitted;

FIG. 5 is a partial section, approximately in the same horizontal plane as in FIGS. 1 and 3 of a third embodiment, drawn to a larger scale. H

' FIG. 6A is a schematic showing of a lband saw which may be substituted for the circular saw blade depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG; 6B is a schematic showing of a chain saw which may be substituted for the circular saw blade as depicted in FIG. 4.

A vertical shaft 4 of a turntableS is :mounted in a bearing 3 on a base frame 1, which, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, is movable on rollers 2..The turntable 5 has radial ribs 6 and is constructed as a flattened cone. The outerrim of the turntable 5 is supported on the base frame l by support rollers 8. A toothed wheel ,9 is attached beneath the turntable 5 and meshes with a pinion 10 of a preferably adjustable transmission such as a geared motor 1l.

The turntable 5 forms the base of a cylindrical container which is open at the top and whose stationary wall comprises horizontal, bent slats, pipes, strips of sheet metal 12 and vertical struts 13. The struts 23 are arranged on the outside of the sheet metal strips 12, so that there are not vertical projections on the inside of the container wall l2, l3.

, A portion of the container wall 12, 13 may be lower than the other portions, for example in the region of a horizontally arranged feed table 14 which can be loaded by a loading wagon .or the like. The turntableS and the container wall12, 13 together form a container 35.

A window aperture 15 is formed in the container wall 12, 13

on the side remote from the loading table 14, the aperture of this window being substantially in the shape of a rectangle. An adjustable flap 12b-may be attached to that vertical edge of .the rectangular windowopening l5 lyingfirst in ,the direction of rotation'U of the turntable 5. -At the other vertical edge a wall 12 and is mounted on a horizontal shaft 22 (in the embodiment of FIG. 1) andthus has a vertical sawing plane. The inwardly extending teeth of the saw blade 16 can therefore pare a skein from a heap or mass of cereal or leaf crop lying on the turntable 5 and moving along the inner wall of the container 12. The cross'section of this skein depends on the height and the extent of penetration and the inclination of the saw blade 16 into the heap. When the vertical dimensions of this skein are determined by suitable means, the skein may travel outwardly through the container widow aperture 15, while the main portion of the heap lying on the rotating turntable 5 remains within the container wall 12. During rotation of the turntable 5, the outer layer of the most irregularly composed heap is caused to move outwardly by forming the turntable with an inclined surface so that it slides down such inclined surface, or by other known means, so that it moves along the inner wall 12 of the container in the circumferential direction.

In order to define the skein horizontally, the embodiment of FIG. 1 is provided with a second saw blade 18 whose vertical ,axis of rotation is disposed outside the container wall 12, a

' which rotatesabout a horizontal axis, from the opposite vertical edge of the window aperture 15, or from the setting of the adjustable flap'l2b. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a conveyor belt 17, on which the continuously flowing skein may be conveyed, is associated with the window aperture 15. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a receiving trough 36 of a flower blower chopper or of a pneumatic conveyor can be directly or indirectly associated with the window aperture.

An adjustable deflector bar 19 is disposed behind the saw blade 18 as seen in the direction U, and is pivotable about a pivot 20 and may be fixed in any desired angular position. The deflector bar 19 corresponds to a so-called splitting wedge which is customary when circular saws are used for timber, and serves to loosen the skein from the main mass of the rotating heap, before the skein, separated by a horizontal cut of the saw blade 18, passes through the window aperture.

A tapered guide rim16a of smaller diameter than the saw blade 16 is attached to the side of the blade 16 remote from the window aperture 15. The adjacent vertical edge 120 of the container wall 12 may terminate therebehind, so that no produce can clog at this point of impact.

In FIG. 1a, the shaft 22 is mounted on a holder 21 which is attached to the frame 1. The shaft 22 is driven by a belt pulley 23, a belt 24 and a rnotor 25. Alternatively, a chain drive can be provided. The part of the container wall 12 at the edge 12c prevents stalks from being wrapped around the driving elements.

A towing link 26 is located on the frame 1 in case the device 35 is to be used as a mobile vehicle and towed by, for example, a tractor. The apparatus may, of course, be set up in a stationary position, for example below the base of a loading wagon,or on the bottom of a'storage pit.

The feed table 14 may be tiltable and made large enough to accommodate additional produce after the container 35 is filled, until space is again available within the container 35. Not only haulage vehicles 37 may be used for loading, but front loaders, scrapers,'grabs, or other auxiliary means may be employed.

When the container 35 is loaded with a heap of cereals or leaf crop by a loading wagon 37, or by some other means, and the driving mechanism is put into operation to rotate the turntable in the direction U, a heap or mass or produce lying on the rotating support surface of the turntable 5 is carried along the stationary container walls 12, wherein the radial, outward sliding of the produce is promoted, in the illustrated embodiment, by the slope of the conical base 5, the natural angle of repose of the heap, and centrifugal force, whilst the ribs 6 assist the movement of the heap in the circumferential direction.

As the heap brushes past the horizontally operating saw blade 18, a cut'is made in the edge of the heap, this cut lying, in the illustrated embodiment, at the same height as the deflector 19, the the upper edge of the window aperture 15, and the upper edge of the vertically saw blade 16 to which runs the outer layer of the heap sliding along the wall 12 of the container 35. The saw blade 16 then cuts into the edge of the heap and pares a skein therefrom which runs outwardly between the saw blade 16 and'the guide flap 12b (i.e. through thewindow aperture somewhat tangentially to the container 35. According to the extent to which the heap settles during the course of the following rotations, and the extent to which new produce slides outwardly into the range of the two cutting devices 18, l6,aft'er the skein has been pared off, a continuous skein of produce is pared H from the heap and passe'd'to' the conveyor I'7,until the container is practically empty. The speed of thefconveyor 17 is preferably slightly higher than'the circumferential speed of the outer edge of the turntable 5, but is not so high that the skein would be broken.

Cutting chains 16' as shown in FIG. 68 (as in motor saws), cutter bars (asin mowing machines), cutter bands (as in band sawsl6' as shown in FIG. 6A), or other cutting devices may be used instead of the circular saw blades or cutting disks [6, 18.

As Additional mechanisms such as time switches and limit switches which may operate with mechanical or optical sensing elements may be provided in order to control the starting ,and stopping of the apparatus automatically in dependence upon the height of the heap or rnass, the weight removed, or the instant of feed.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, conveying elements 28 are provided in the region of the vertical edge 15a of the window aperture opposite the saw blade 16, and are rotatable in the manner of a crank gear and have prongs which engage, from the outside, into the edge of the heap, and thus forcibly feed the produce to the saw blade 16. These conveying elements 28 are particularly suitable for use with produce of low density, such as hay. In this connection, the saw blade 16 may be arranged radially, or almost radially, relative to the axis of the turntable 5 as compared with the substantially tangential direction of the plane of the saw blade 16, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. The conveying elements 28 are driven via chains 30, or the like, by a transmission or motor 32. In this embodiment, the same motor 32 serves to drive the turntable 5, which is provided with toothed rim meshing with the pinion 10. The saw saw blade 16 is mounted directly on the shaft of a motor 31. Particularly in this second embodiment it is sufficient to provide a single saw blade 16 whose axis of rotation may, perhaps, be inclined with respect to the horizontal.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, there is provided a rigid cutting blade 34 which extends in a preferably vertical plane. Here, in addition to the conveying elements 28, conveying elements 33are also provided on the other broad side of th the butting blade, which conveying elements 33 may be constructed and controlled in a similar manner 33 to the conveying elements 28. Preferably the individual prongs of the conveying elements 28 and 33 are staggered with respect to each other. Since the two conveying elements 28 and 33 plunge into the produce in contrarotating directions and pull the produce apart in the region of the cutting edge 34, and conduct it along the cutting edge 34, the produce is separated by the cutting edge 34, which is preferably serrated, even when it is very tightly interlaced, so that the portion of the commodity located in the region of the window aperture 15 may be carried away laterally. This embodiment operates mainly at low speeds of the turntable 5 or of the conveying elements 28, 33, and ensures good operating reliability and security against accidents. It is especially suitable for processing short or precut material. The conveying elements 28 operate about a vertical axis, and theelements 33 operate about a' horizontal axis.

The apparatus of the invention requires no manual labour for its operation, and requires to be checked only occasionally. This check may be carried out by the driver of the transport vehicle who delivers loads of the produce to the extracting device at fairly regular intervals of time. Despite the negligible susceptibility of to trouble it is recommended that emergency stop switches be provided for stopping the apparatus if a defect should occur on one of its elements.

Apparatus embodying the invention is advantageous in that it may be used to combine all known processes of the long commodity" and chopped commodity" processing in any desired sequence of the separate stages of the chain of operations. For example, the process of chopping all or individualbatches of the harvest may be carried out at any desired stage of the chain of operations. This is a considerable advance, since by means of this apparatus the known chain of operations and processes may be fully mechanized or automated even in buildings and in factories of the most varied organization.

A further advantage lies in the fact that the apparatus of the invention mayalso beused to mix supplies of fodder from stores. For example, or in order to prepare a fodder ration for the next feed, specific weights and varieties of fodder. may be placed on specific sectors of the turntable in a specific sequence, so that the pared skein of fodder coming out of the window aperture has a'desired composition which is suitable for conveying to the fodder table or manger. In this manner, labour and time can be saved in the farmyard.

ltiwas previously very difficult to find and correctly deploy labour in the farmyard so that the cereal and leaf commodities brought in byitransport vehicles erg. loading wagons) could be cleared away or processed efficiently and at reasonable expense before-the next cartload arrived. This difficulty can be substantially overcome by the invention. The container 35 mayeasily be dimensioned so that it can accommodate the loads of several transport vehicles 37 and, independently of newly arriving loads, transfer its contents to a conveyor 17in a continuous stream, wherein the device serves, on the one hand, as an intermediate container 35 for a disordered heap moving inside it and, on the other hand, contains devices which are automatically and continuously fed from the heap or mass of produce and which, by simple and reliable means, effect the separation of the heapinto easily handled skeins of produce to be transported; i

lclaim: I h t 1. Apparatus for breaking up a mass of produce such as cereal or leaf crops, comprising: i I t a storage container adapted to receive a mass of produce, said storage container having a turntable bottom adapted to be rotated aboutra substantially vertical axis, a stationary sidewall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the turntable bottomand' having an outlet aperture therein; cutting means having at lest one movable element extending into the interior of said container to engage with a mass of produce therein, and means for driving said turntable and cutting means for paring a substantially continuous skein from the outer layer-of a mass of produce inside the container and delivering it through said outlet aperture to outside said container; and 4 t in which saidcutting means comprises two circular saws of l which one has a substantially horizontal cutting plane, and the other has, a substantially ,vertical cutting plane whereby a substantially rectangular section skein can be pared off and'is operative in a plane inclined to the direction in which the skein is withdrawn.

2. Apparatus forbreaking up a mass of produce such as cereal or leaf crops, comprising: v

a storage container adapted to receive a mass of produce, said storage container having-a turntable bottom adapted to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis, a stationary side wall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the turntable'bottom and having an outlet aperture therein; and

cutting means having atleast one movable element extending into the interior of said container to engage with a mass of produce therein, -and means for drivingsaid turntable and cutting means for paring a substantially continuous skein from the" outer layer of a mass of produce inside the container anddelivering it through I said outlet aperture to outside said container, including guide elements arranged in the vicinity of the outlet aperture for influencing the direction in which the skeimis delivered from inside to outside said container.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said guide elements are adjustable. a i

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which said cutting means includes a fixed cutter blade with which at least one conveyingmeans is associated such that said conveying means is adapted to force part of said mass of produce against at least one broad side of said blade.

5. Apparatus for breaking up'a mass of produce such as cereal or leaf crops, comprising: a storage container adapted to receive a mass of produce, said storage container having a turntable bottom adapted to be, rotated about a substantially vertical axis, a stationary side wall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the, turntable bottom and having an outlet aperture therein;

cutting means having at least one movable element extending into' the interior of said container to engage witha mass of produce therein, and means for driving said turntable and cutting meansfor paring a substantially continuous skein from the outer layer of a mass of produce inside'the containerand delivering it through said outlet aperture to outside said container, including conveying means in the region of said? outlet aperture for assisting the movement of the skein in its delivery direction; and 3 in which said cutting means includes a fixed cutter blade having two broad'side's;-said conveying means being associated with said cutting blade and adapted to force part of said mass of produce against the broad sides of said blade, thesaid conveying means being, on one side of said cuttingblade, movable about vertical axes and on the other side movable about'horizontalaxes. 6. Apparatus for breaking upa mass of produce such as cereal or leaf crop, comprising: i

a storage containeradapted to neceive a mass of produce, said storage container having atumtable bottom adapted to be rotated about a. substantiallyuvertical axis, a stationary side wall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the'turntable bottom and having an outlet aperture therein; and g I cutting means havingat least one movable elementextending into the interiorof said container-to engage with a mass of produce therein, and means for driving said turntable and cutting means for paring-a substantially continuous skein from the outer layer of a mass of produce inside the container and delivering it through said outlet aperture to outside said container, in which a device for further processing said produce is disposed behind the outlet aperture intthe direction of delivery of the skein; a t

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said 'device is a 8. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said device is a chopper;

9. Apparatus for breaking up a mass of produce such as cereal or leaf crops, comprising:

a storage container adapted to, receive a mass of produce, said storage containerhaving a turntable bottom adapted to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis, a stationary side wall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the turntable bottom and having an outlet aperturetherein; and 1 v cutting means having at lastone: movable element extending into the interior "of saidcontainer to engage with a mass of produce therein, and means for driving said turntable and cutting means for paring a substantially continuous skein from the outer layer of a mass of produce inside the container and delivering it through said outlet apertureto outside said container, in which said turntable bottom is raised towards its center.

10. Apparatus according toclaim 9 in which the'turntable is conical.

11. Apparatus for breaking'up a mass of produce such as cereal or leaf crops, comprising: t

a storage container adapted to receive a mass of produce, said storage container having a turntable bottom adapted v to be rotated about 'a-substantially vertical axis, a stationary side wall substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the turntable bottom and having an outlet aperture therein; and i i cutting means having at least one movable element extending into the interior of said container to engage with a mass of produce therein, and means for driving said turntable and cutting means for paring a substantially continuous skein from? the outer layer of a mass of produce inside the'container and delivering it through said outlet aperture to outside said container, in which ribs are provided on the turntable bottom for pushing a massof produce on the turntable bottom in the direction of rotation of the turntable bottom and urging it radially outwardly thereupon. l 12. Apparatus for the intermediate storage and subsequent separation and'handling of mass of agricul'tural material in stalk or leaf form, comprising:

. a storage container adapted to receive a mass of agricultural material, said storage container including a turntable bot- -tom' adapted for rotation about a substantially vertical k h a d all disposed substantially symmetrically about'thej rotational "ax'isof said turntable bottom and having a outlet aperture therein;

' 5' I saiifturntable and imparting rotational a. e 'rnotioiitliereto; and

ciittin'gineans, d i osed in a substantially vertical plane in Y the region of the reafedg e said outlet aperture; viewed "in the direction of rotationof said turntablesaid cutting means being th us operative to'sever a skein of predetermined dimensions from the periphery of the mass within said conta inerand to leffecttthe removal of said skein fromsaid container to'f'the outside through'said foutlet aperture. I V I l3.A'pparatus according to claim 12,,wherein said cutting means includes'a drive cutting" el ement.

14.- Apparatus according to 13, wherein said driven cutting element comprisesac'ireular saw.

ISIApparatuS accordingto claim :11}, wherein said driven cutting "element includes a stationary cutting element, and further comprising conveying means disposed withinthe region of atleast one edge of said outlet aperture for assisting the movement of the skein in its delivery direction.

16. Apparatus accordingto claim 13, wherein said driven cuttingelement extends to'a height approximately level with the top of said container.

l7. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said cutting elementextends to a height approximately level with the top ofsaid container. 5 i i ISIApparatus according to claim l2, further comprising slitting 'ineans, disposetlfin'a substantially horizontal plane.

said slittin'g'means extendingithroiigh'ajslot in said sidewall, into said container to a predetermined extent, at a location in advance of said cutting meanswhen viewed in the direction of rotation of said turntable,v and ata he ght greater than that of the lower edge of said outlet aperture? i 19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said slitting means includes adriven cutting element.

20. Apparatus accordingl t o'claim .19, wherein said driven cutting element comprises a circular saw.

21. Apparatus according feel aim 1 9, further comprising a conveyor belt extending, tangentially relative to said turntable and arranged at said outlet aperture alined alongside one side of said cutting means which faces away from said turntable.

22. Apparatus. according to claim 12, wherein said turntajble is constructed in the form of a conical surface with the apex thereof corresponding to the vertical rotational axis of 'said outlet aperture, said first group being adapted for motion about a vertical axis of rotation, and a second group, positioned near the oppositeside of said outlet aperture, and being adapted for motion about a horizontal axis of rotation.

26. Apparatus according toclaim 15, wherein said conveying means are positioned near both sides of said outlet aperture and are adapted for motion about vertical axes of rotation. c I 27. Appa ratus according to claim-21, further comprising a comrninuting device positioned to be operative upon a skein of material removedfrom said outlet aperture by said conveyorbelt.

28, Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said side wall of said container has a portion thereof adapted for removal, to provide an inlet opening for said container.

29. Apparatusaccor'ding to claim 28, further comprising a feed table cooperating .yvith saidinletopening of said container, said inlet opening and feed table being located approximately opposite said outlet aperture.

.. 30.. Apparatusaccording to claim ,29, wherein said feed table includes means for pivoting about a horizontal axis.

31. Apparatus according 'to .claim 29, wherein said feed table includes conveyor .means for imparting motion to material deposited thereon.

y 32. Apparatus accordingto claim-22, wherein said turntable isprovided with,entrainment membersaffixed thereto.

33. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said cutting element comprises a band saw. a

'34. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said cutting element comprises a cutting chain.

35. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein-said cutting element comprises a knife bar. 

